Eating Healthy, Traveling Far, and Adding Lemon to my Water

Meatless Monday

If you thought hospital cafeterias were full of healthy food options, you thought wrong. Unfortunately, even in the building where heart disease is being treated, it is also being served on a plate in the form of fried chicken, onion rings, French fries, pizza, and deli sandwiches. Since those are the main options, I resort to the salad bar daily for my lunch, filling my bowl with romaine, kale, tomatoes, peas, mushrooms, and chicken. But it is only now, after almost 12 weeks, that I realized the cafeteria does “Meatless Monday’s”. I just thought every now and then the salad bar was out of chicken, but I have now realized it happens to be every Monday…the same day they don’t serve chicken fingers or BBQ chicken pizza.

With research linking meat consumption to cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, at least the hospital is on the right track one day a week. Meatless Monday’s is a concept used to both reduce health risks, but also reduce our carbon footprint since there is so much water and fuel used in meat production.

After the Meatless Monday realization I had, I decided I would try something other than a salad this past Monday. In a cafeteria where most of the food looks slightly suspicious, my meatless lunch was actually delicious – stuffed sweet potato with a kale, quinoa, and cranberry salad and a quarter of a roasted acorn squash. It was also nice to switch things up and have something other than a salad.

I have never participated in Meatless Monday’s before, but I think I might try to continue Meatless Monday’s through dinner at home. It is great motivation to get creative in the kitchen, try something new, and get some health benefits.

Worried you won’t get enough protein by going meatless? No need to worry! 85% lean ground beef has 10.4 grams of protein per 100 calories and broccoli has 8.5g per 100 calories… Pretty close, huh? Plus broccoli is full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that meat doesn’t really have. And of course, there’s always quinoa, tofu, lentils, yogurt, beans, and nuts which are all good sources of protein.

Sure, meats have lean protein, vitamin B12, and iron, but you don’t need to have it everyday to reap the benefits. Give Meatless Monday’s a try! If anything, it is a good excuse to fill your plate with extra veggies, which never hurts.

Up for a challenge? In doing some google-ing about Meatless Monday. I also found there is a campaign called #NoRedOctober encouraging people to cut meat for the entire month of October. I know October is almost over but you can try it any month. Think you could do it? It would be tough, but even a meatless day or week is better than nothing.